Bees are responsible for pollination, but they aren’t the only ones doing the hard work. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America has found that between 25 and 50 percent of pollination is performed by non-bees. This means that while bees do a lot of the job, …
A New Look Grant Cycles Using PageRank Systems
Grant cycles are, for the most part, a bane of a researcher’s existence. We spend countless wasted hours writing, editing, submitting, reviewing, and hoping for funding. Associate Professor Johan Bollen at Indiana University’s School of Informatics and his colleagues have come up with an interesting supplement to the traditional peer-review system that can streamline the …
Study: The Sun’s ‘Superflares’ May Be Enough to Disrupt Earth
Next time your phone drops its connection, you might want to look up at the Sun. New research shows that the Sun and its flare-ups may be more powerful than originally thought, according to OuterPlaces. A study published in the Astrophysical Journal has found that “Superflares,” which are “orders of magnitude larger than most energetic solar flares,” …
The Annual Christmas Bird Count is Set to Celebrate Its 116th Year
Get your binoculars ready and start counting some birds! The Audubon Society’s Annual Christmas Bird Count is officially slated to take place between Dec. 14 and January 5. However, many people still don’t know about the event, which is in its 116th year. Approximately 72,000 volunteers from 2,40o locations across the Western Hemisphere take part …
Drought Influences Californians to Rethink their Christmas Tree Purchases
‘Tis the season to think of the environment! At least this is what Californians have in mind as they look ahead to the holidays. A new survey by the American Christmas Tree Association has found that nearly 1 in 3 California residents are taking the drought into account while shopping for a tree. “Thirty percent said …
Love Caffeine? So Do Bees, According to Researchers
As it turns out, we may have more in common with bees than we previously thought. New research from a group of researchers from the University of Sussex have discovered that some plants are capable of producing caffeine. In fact, they do so to accommodate bees, which react in a specific way to the caffeine. …
Where Did Those Fish in Your Aquarium Come From?
Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. Have you ever wondered where your pet fish lived before you plopped them in your aquarium? As it turns out, they might’ve come from Hawaii. When the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources recently …
It’s In Your Hands: Evolution of the Human Hand and Aggression
Editor’s Note: This post is clearly biased and doesn’t contain balanced thought processes. In fact, it also even ignores evidence that goes against the thesis. This post is used to demonstrate bad science and terrible science communication. Editor’s note: This post has been updated and broken links removed. Please see our policy on broken hyperlinks for more. …
But Really, Why are Sherpas Able to Endure the Elements?
Avid climbers have always been amazed at how Sherpas, the ethnic group of Nepal, can withstand high altitude and take on the world’s greatest mountains with ease. Now, a team of researchers has answered some of the most pressing questions on Sherpas at the World Extreme Medicine Expo. Last month at the conference in London, …
Broader Impacts from the Public Perspective
Last week we talked about the potential in crowdfunding your research, and there is even some consideration to take here with the bigger picture. Crowdfunding not only gets some of that much-needed financing, but it also helps the broader impacts of your research. While this is a pretty sweet idea, there is one flaw with …